Although the pair came second to last, they remained undaunted, with Conner telling ESPN the only thing that mattered to him was to finish the race.

He added of his brother: "When I see him smiling and laughing, that means he's having a good time."

11 Inspiring Olympians

11 Inspiring Olympians

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Kerri Strug

A member of the gold medal-winning all-around women's gymnastics team that represented the United States at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, Kerri Strug will long be remembered as the pint-sized dynamo who refused to give up -- even in the face of tremendous pain. Strug had been the last gymnast to vault for the United States in the final rotation in the finals of the Games. With the US team trailing behind the Russians, a strong performance from Strug was paramount. However, Strug under-rotated the landing of her first attempt and fell, damaging her ankle. Despite her injury, Strug got up and performed the vault again -- this time, landing it perfectly. She scored a 9.712, securing the US team's gold medal. Strug's courageous performance has remained one of the most memorable moments in the history of the modern Olympics.